Fi Community

College and Credit Cards My mom raised my brother and me to learn to work for what we have and to never rely on someone else for money. Our mother wanted us to be financially responsible and she taught us many lessons. Even with her admirable efforts and intentions, life challenged us and my decisions…

Whether my parents knew it at the time or not, they have changed the generations to come in our family forever by not settling where it was easiest. Both of my parents, and step-parents, fought hard to give my siblings and I the life they couldn’t have as a child. What a blessing it has…

Hello, twenty-two-year-old Joel! Greetings from a decade in the future. There’s so much to catch you up on: There’s a new Power Rangers movie! Apple makes cell phones now! And we have electric cars that practically drive themselves! But there’s a serious matter I want to discuss today: your future happiness. Let me describe two…

I grew up thinking of money as a means to procure the things that brought immediate satisfaction. As soon as I had it, I used it, and I felt fine doing so. I never lacked the necessities, and so I figured I had all that I needed. There comes a time in many of our…

Dr. Jekyll has Mr. Hyde, Beyoncé has Sasha Fierce, and I have Jade. My FI alter ego was born in 2015, on a quiet, gray evening in Everett, WA. I remember it because it was one of those fork-in-the-road moments that alter your life forever. I was 24, newly released onto the world as an…

My midlife crisis came two summers ago when I realized how close I was to retirement eligibility yet how far I was from retirement capability. I was talking to a colleague and close friend of mine about our years in the education field, and it hit me. I would be eligible to retire from teaching…

This was my first CampFI ever and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am not a “FI” person per se however, I heard a lot of good things and wanted to see what all the excitement was about. The venue for CampFI Southeast 2019 Week 2 near Gainesville, FL was great. “Miss Sarah” delivered…

My last day working for “the man” was two weeks ago and I am now officially free to lead Above the Clouds Retreats in Ecuador. What a beautiful word—free. I wish I could say I am completely retired, but I still need an income stream. Rather than going to work every day though, I have…

When I graduated from my various professional programs and got my first “real job,” I knew I needed to start saving for retirement. I bought a home, but due to my employment situation, I didn’t have access to any employer-sponsored retirement plans. Instead, I tried to max out a Traditional IRA each year. When I…

Our story seems quite different than most. However, anyone can use the lessons (or mistakes) from our life to better themselves. Lessons: My LifeInFIRE started out when I was 12-years-old. I grew up in a middle-class home, and in many ways I was lucky. I was taught how to save and how bonds and high-interest…